Gear-cutting machine



Aug.12, 1952 E. MATERA ETAL GEAR CUTTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l lli '.WW/Ma Allg 12, 1952 E. MATERA ET AL 2,606,481

GEAR CUTTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1946 l 3 Sheets-SheeiI 2 ,2 l I WE/vrais Aug. 12, 1952 E. MATERA r-:TAL

GEAR CUTTING MACHINE 3 Sheetg-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 2, 1946 m. m w w m M n Patented Aug. 12, 1952 GEAR-CUTTING MACHINE Emanuele Matera, deceased, late of Rivoli, near Turin, Italy, by Maria Matera Borgini, administratrix, Turin, and Ettore Caretta, Turin,

Italy Application August 2, 1946, Serial No. 687,932

' In Italy May 19, 1942 It is known to cut or grind spur or bevel gears by the so-called generating process which consists in generating the teeth of the wheel by means of one or more tools, each of the operating flanks of which matches by its proille the flank of a tooth of an ideal rack or of a crown gear wheel and performs a movement at the main cutting speed, while the work and the ideal rack or crown gear perform a relative movement such as to produce rolling without sliding of the pitch cylinder or cone of the gear to be cut on the pitch plane of the ideal rack or crown gear (generating movement).

It is further known that in the case of straight toothed bevel gears, each operating flank of the tool should be maintained during its cutting and generating movements constantly in the same plane as the vertex of the pitch cone of the gear being cut, coinciding with the center of the ideal crown gear rim, if the teeth torbe cut shall duly converge towards the said vertex. In the case of spur gears with straight teeth, the same rule applies when the vertex is considered displaced tov the inilnite in the direction of the axis.

When bevel gears with teeth having a curvilinear axis are cut, it is desirable that each space between two contiguous teeth conveniently tapers from the larger towards the'smaller base so that the strength ofthe tooth is maintained practically constant along its full axis.

The known machines for cutting 'or grinding` straight toothed bevel gears according 'to the generating process, cut converging flanks as mentioned above either by the simultaneous use of two tools performing a reciprocating or rotating movement, one of which constantly cuts the left flanks only of the teeth, while the other cuts` the right flanks, means being provided for constantly maintaining the operative surfaces of both tools maintained in the same plane as the vertex of the pitch cone of the Work, or when one tool only having two operative flanks is em-4 ployed, for suitably adjusting the work or the tool holder every time operation goes over from a flank or a series of flanks to the opposed'ilank or series of flanks.

While machines with two tools are always rather complicated, due to the necessity of setting the tools and causing them to perform` a` converging movement, the machines with one tool only require setting during work, which makes operation lengthy and expensive and ac-V curacy more difficult to obtain.

Even the known machines for cutting toothed wheels with teeth having curvilinear axis accordy 1 Claim. (C1. 90-3) Cil ing to the generating process, which cut the teeth spaces with decreasing width from the larger towards the smaller base, by using various means implying for instance, in many cases, the use of milling machines with separately attached cutters arranged and operating in various manners, are rather complicated, both on account of the difliculty of adjustment of the tools on the milling machine and complexity of the movements required by cutting by the generating process with these types and arrangements of tools. The complexity of'these machines limits the usefulness thereof to production on large series.

This invention vrelates chiefly to a device for cutting or grinding toothed'wheels, more particularly bevel wheels, according to the generating process, by means of one tool only having two operative flanks, in which the cutting or grinding of the facing flanks of each space between two contiguous teeth is obtained by a transverse alternating movement of the work relative to the milling cutter or grinder, each stroke of this movement comprising two-stages,

namely, correct approach of either flank ofthetooth spacey to either operative flank of the tool performingV the main cutting movement, and a generating stage for cutting the flanks of the tooth space according to an involute prole, the said two approaching and generating stages following each other in a continuous and automatic manner so as to alternatively approach and operate upon both contiguous flanks of the same tooth space, when the work is imparted manually or mechanically from the outside one transverse oscillating movement, as the milling cutter or grinding wheel is traversed along the axis of the tooth space.

The requirement of making the tooth flanks'` duly converge towardsV the vertex'of the pitch cone is met in a particularly simple mannen' which enables all the teeth on both flanks to be correctly cut by means of one cutter only without stopping work for effecting adjustment.

This is obtained by mounting the work for rotation about an axis y-y (Fig. l) parallel to axis -m of the ideal crown gear, about which latter axis one of the component movements of the relative generating movement is performed.

The rotation about the axis y-y lasts only as long as will be sufficient for alternately bringing correctly each` of the facingflanks of one tooth space in front of the corresponding operative' flank of the tooth, whereupon said rotation stops and is followed, through the means described andy aeoalici illustrated hereafter, by a rotation about the axis .r--m such as to produce the generating movement for cutting the tooth flanks by generation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for milling or grinding spur gears with straight or helical teeth by the generating process by means of one cutter or grinding wheel having two operative flanks, in which the thickness between the anks of the cutter or grinding wheel measured on the pitch cone, is smaller than the spacing, likewise measured on the pitch cone, between the two opposite flanks of a tooth space between two contiguous teeth, and in which the flanks to be cut are alternately approached to the tool by a relative translational movement between the tool and work, which ceases as approach has been effected, and is followed, through the arrangement described and illustrated hereafter, by the generating movement.

In this case, the process, which is similar to the one described with reference to the main embodiment of this invention, has the advantage of permitting spur gears to be out without any adjustment during work, even when, consequent to sharpening, the lateral thickness of the tool is reduced. This is not possible in ordinary methods of cutting spur gears by the generating method.

The device according to this invention, which may be carried out in various forms in order to meet the above-mentioned requirements, may usefully be constructed in the form of an apparatus for association with machine tools, more particularly milling machines, with a view to utilizing said machines also for cutting or grinding gears. y

According to this invention, the device may also be carried out in the form of a special machine tool for cutting or grinding gears, in which the two consecutive characteristic movements of correct approach and generation, which in anV auxiliary apparatus to be associated with ordinary machine tools are both imparted to the wheel to be cut, may be both imparted to the tool, or to the tool and work, respectively. In either case, the principle of this invention does not vary, inasmuch as the relative movements between the parts are obviously the same.

The invention shall be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show diagrammatically the devices to be associated with machine tools for cutting bevel and spur gears. construction of an apparatus for cutting bevel Wheels. v

Fig. l is a diagrammatic perspective viewofapparatus for cutting or grinding bevel gears'. 'Ivhe dot and dash lines y-y and -:c in Fig'. l show the two axes about which the work successively rotates on each oscillation imparted to it from the outside during the approach and generating stages.

Figs. 2 and 3 are a part axial section anda plane view respectively, of a constructionfor cutting or grinding bevel gears. This apparatus is used in connection With an ordinary milling or grinding machine.

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the process for the graphic determination of the point through which the axis y-y of the movement of approach imparted to the gear to be cut or ground should extend.

Fig. 5 shows by way of example a bevel gear with circular arc teeth, in which the milling The drawings further show aY the apparatus for cutting or grinding cylindrical gears.

As mentioned above, cutting or grinding are effected by a relative reciprocating movement between the wheel to be cut and the tool, each stroke of this movement comprising two stages which automatically succeed each other. During the rst stage (approach), either flank of the space between two consecutive teeth is correctly brought to the tool performing the main cutting movement; during the second generating stage the flank is machined along an involute profile. The approach and generating movements succeed each other during work, and the opposite flanks of one tooth space are alternately acted upon as the milling cutter or grinding wheel advances along the axis of the tooth space and acts on the toothed portion over all its width (feed movement). On completion of one tooth space, the next space comes in front of the tool under the action of an ordinary dividing head.

In cutting bevel wheels, the successive approach and generating movements imparted from the outside to the Work, are rotations of which the axes are the previously defined, straight lines y-y and -:L respectively, the spacing between the latter being determined, for instance, in the manner specied hereafter.

In the case of spur gears, the axes are situated at the infinite, so that relative displacements take place along rectilinear instead of curved directions.

With reference to Fig. l, which shows the diagram of the apparatus for cutting bevel wheels, I denotes the Yconical wheel to be cut, which is mounted on a shaft I rotating in a support 2 mounted on a pivot for oscillation about the axis x--at with respect to plate 3. The latter may oscillate on the pivot 4 about the axis y-y with respect tothe underlying plate S. A disc 5 is keyed on theshaft l and its circumference is situated on the pitch cone of the bevel gear to be cut, of which the vertex Pis situated at the intersection with the axis of the shaft I. Flexible oppositely wound transmission wires or cables 6 and 'I are anchored at one end to the periphery of the disc 5 and at their other end to points 8 on the plate 3. The plate S, on which the plate Sis mounted for oscillation about the pivot 4, is provided with two adjustable stops I, It for the latter, and a brake Il acts on the pivot having the axis :t-- and hence on the support 2 of the shaft I. The diagram shows the tooth F of the milling cutter. By acting in a transverse direction on the shaft I the work is imparted an oscillation about axis y-y which goes on until a suitable tooth on a plate 3 strikes against either stop I0, IU said stops being adjustable in such manner that ceasing of the oscillation about the axis y-y takes place when either flank of a space between two contiguous teeth has come in front of the tooth in a suitably approached position at the start of cutting by generation. As the work stops against either stop I0, IIJ', the friction produced by the pressure device I I is overcome and further oscillation of the shaft I produces a rotation about the axis xwhich in association with the rolling of the disc 5 on the wires 6 and caii'ses the pitch cone of the Work to roll on the plane ofthe crown gear, as required for the correct generation of either flank of the tooth space. 1

A construction of the device which has been diagrammatically described above in. order to make the characteristic principle of operation better understood, is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The device comprises a supporting structure fI2 carrying the dividing apparatus consisting of a casing I3 having arranged therein the worm screw. I4.

meshing with the worm wheel VI 5 which is keyed on the shaft I having fixed thereto the wheel I to be cut. The dividing disc I'I (Fig. 3) is keyed externally of the casing I3 on `the shaft Iof the worm screw (Fig. 3). The whole dividingand work-holding device can oscillateabout'the center of rotation P, which constitutes the vertex of the pitch, cone, within suitable part circular groovesIS cut in the supportingstructure I2.

The sleeve I9 (Fig.'2) has iixedthereto the casing I3 of thedividing device and may rotate within the sleeve 29 which is provided with a nut clamping 2I (Fig. 3) for securing the unit in the desired positions. on the side of the tool F the bevel'g'ear 22 having a pitch cone which is equal in aperture to the wheel to be cut. This interchangeable gear 22 meshes with a sector 23 of a crown gear wheel 23, of which the pitch point coincides. with the pitch point P of the work to be cut, andof which the horizontal pitch plane is tangential to the pitch cone of the work. The flanks of Ythe teeth of this crown gear sector 23 converge towards the pitch point P. The above-mentioned crown gear sector is supported by twouprights 24 (Fig. 3) carried by the base of the supporting strueture I2. bodily on the base 3 by an angular movement about the pivot 25 of Awhich the axis :cextends through the pitch point P which is the center of the whole system. This oscillation may be imparted, for example, by a driving mechanism 26.

The base 3 carrying a braking device II for the supporting structure I2 may in turnbe dis' placed in the direction of the arrows with respect to plate 9 by means of the screw 21 which` is moved by means ofthe handle 28 within guidesA in order to displace the pin 25 having the axis :zr-:1: with respect to the pivot 29, having the axis y-y, of the plate 9, in order to bring the former to its correct relative position to the latter, which position may be determinedffor example, by means ofthe system shown in Fig. 4.

The pivot 29 permits rotation of the plate 9 on the plate 30 which is provided with an abutment (Fig. 2) cooperating `with two stops I0, I0 limiting the angular oscillation of the plate. The stops should be adjustable and are therefore in the form of screws. The plate 3U may oscillate with respect to the` main base 32 (Fig. 2) of the apparatus about a horizontal pivot 33 and is adjusted at the desired angle by means of the clamping device 34, as it is fixed to the carriage of the milling machine by means of lugs 35.

The circular tool is of a trapezoidalsection smaller in width at the pitch cone than the tooth space measured on itsmminimum width at the pitch cone ofthe bevel wheelto be cut.` For the graphicA determination of the position of the axis y--y withrespect-to axis :v -:12, the following procedure may be followed:

Inaplane passingthrough the pitch point and containing the intersections of'mthe vopposite,

The sleeve I9 carries in turnl 1 The supporting structure I2 may rockflanks 'of two contiguous teeth with the surface. of the pitch cone, the angle vformedby these intersections CC and having its apex atthe pitch point P is considered. The thickness A of the milling cutter or grinding wheel atA the `pitch cone is further considered, and two lines are drawn, within the angle CPC,fparallel to vthe sides Cland spaced therefrom by one half the.A thickness AA. I The intersection A of these paral- In Fig. 4 F denotes the miller cutter and l theA wheel to be cut.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is usedl in the following manner:

Upon adjustment of the divider in orderA to permit an angular displacement of the wheel to be cut in accordance with the required number of teeth, the toothed wheel 22 having the above specified features is mounted taking care for its correct mesh with the crown segment 23. The wheelI to be out is then secured on the shaft I, the relative position of the axis 'ac-.r with respect to axis y-y is adjustedby acting on the control 21 and the stop screws Ill, Ill"l are adjusted with respect to the stationary pin 3l (Fig. 3), so that the angle of oscillation of the plate 9 corresponds to the angle CC (Fig. 4) of aperture of the tooth space to be cut, and the braking device II is adjusted to overcome the initial moment of oscillation generated by the movement of the control 23. As a last step, the inclination of the whole apparatus is adjusted With respect to the main base 32, so that the plane of the bottom of the tooth of the wheel to be cut is parallel to the direction of the movement of feed of the tool F.

On starting work, the carriage carrying the apparatus is imparted a forward movement and the whole system is at the same time rocked by means-of the control 2,6 about the pivot 29, rotation of the supporting structure I2 on thexpivot being prevented by the brake II, till either the adjusting screw I0 or I0 depending upon the direction of oscillation abuts the pin 3I (Fig. 3). By effect of the continuous effort generated by the control 26 and under the action of the stop mechanism 3I-I0-I0, the resistance opposed by the brake II (Fig. l) is overcome.l porting structure I2 is free to oscillate about the axis :r-a: on the crown segment 23 (Fig. 2) and carry along in rotation the sleeve I9, hence thecasing I3 With the whole dividing apparatus the internal parts of which are obviously kept blocked during this generating movement, shaft I and wheel I xedly connected thereto, thereby imparting to the latter the correct generating movement with respect to the cutting edge of the milling cuter F, as required for cutting the flank of a tooth by generation.

On reverse oscillation of the control 26 the' opposite side is machined and, as the oscillations are repeated on forward movement of the carriage carrying the apparatus, the space between the two opposite flanks is machined with an increasing vaperture in accordance with the angle formed by the side cc. facing flanks of a tooth space the graduated The sup- Upon completion of two divider disc I1 is acted upon and the work is rotated by one step whereby the next space 1s brought in front of the tool.

The apparatus for cutting spur gears is shown in Figs. 6 to 12.

The-two main component parts of the apparatus are the lower and top plates 9 and 3, respectively. Since spur gears have to be out, the two axes -x and 'y-y are displaced to the innite in their plane and in the direction of the wheel axis,v and the approach and generating movements are mere translational movements produced, for instance, by a crank gear of which the rod is denoted by 36, while 31 denotes the circle described by the crank pin about the pivot 33. The lower plate 3 carries two teeth I0 and ID', respectively, with prismatic internal sides, and the means for adjusting lateral displacements is situated between the teeth, said means consisting of a prismatic tooth 39 which may be moved endwise for eifecting adjustment.

By this device it is possible to obtain a most accurate adjustment The plate l2 is connected with the rod 3S and may slide with respect to the plate 3 under a certain friction adjustable by any means controlling the pressure between the friction surfaces. The plate 3 carries the supports 4 for the wheel I to be cut with spur teeth, mounted on the shaft 40.

The working of the device is plain from examination of Figs. 6 to 12. When the crank mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. G, the cutter is in the space of the hollow tooth. f When this mechanism passes through the position in Fig. G-'to that in Fig. 7, the relative position of the plates 3 and 9 does not alter, and the arresting tooth I5, which was in contact with the tooth I', comes against the tooth I as a result of the lateral movement of the group consisting of the two plates 3 and 9, to which a lateral movement of the wheel to be cut in relation to the cutter Fcorresponds, at the end of which movement the latter is situated close to the upper extremity of the profile of one flank of the hollow tooth. By the subsequent movement, in the vdirection of the arrows,.of the crank mechanism, on passing from the position shown in Fig. 7 to thatshown in Fig. 8, as the plate 9 cannot move any further because it is opposed by the arresting tooth I5, the frictional resistance between the plates 3 and 9 is overcome and the plate 3 moves in relation to the plate 9, as shown in Fig. 8, causing, through the action of the mechanism consisting of the disc Il and the flexible wires I and B, a rolling movement of the wheel to be cut, whose axle, as it is moved laterally, turns upon itself at the same time, so that the flank of the cutter machines the corresponding fiank of ,the hollow tooth.

A subsequent development of the position according to Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig. 9, brings about a successive rolling of the wheel to be toothed as far as the position shown in Fig. 9, during which the hollow tooth moves laterally in relation to the cutter without the other flank of the hollow tooth being touched. In the movement from the position in Fig. 9 to that in Fig. 10, the first stage of reversal of the transversal movement is beginning and the group consisting of the t'wo plates 3 and 9 moves, without lany relative movement of the plates, until theadjustable arresting tooth l5,`which was against the tooth I9, happens to be against the tooth l0. In this position according to l0,y the flank of the cutter comes against the extremity of the other flank of the hollow tooth to be cut. Bythe subsequent movement from the position in Fig. 10 to that in Fig.,12, the plate 9 will be unable to move further forward for it is retained by the tooth l5 which is striking the tooth l0. I he plate then moves against the frictional resistance, in relation to the plate 9, the wheel to be cut executes a rolling movement opposite to that previously described, and the other flank of the cutter machines the flank of the hollow tooth. By replacing the cutter by a grinding-wheel having the same prole, the grinding of spurV gears which have already been cut is achieved by means of the device described above.

According to the variant represented in Fig. 13, which likewise relates to a device for cutting spur gears, the movement of the crank mechanism is not transmitted directly to the supporting plate 3 for the wheel to be cut I, but throughV a lever 42, to which the crank-arm is connected at 43. The lever 42 oscillates around the point 44, on an upright 4I of plate 3 and, by the aid ofv a connecting-rod 45, it is connected to the plate l2. In this example, the adjustablestops for the movement of the plate 3 consists of screws 45, 43 carried by parts 41 having fixed thereto the rods 43, 48' to the right and left, respectively. These rods terminate at their free ends by two oppositely directed, that is, a right-handed and a left-handed screw threads, engaging the sleeve 49 having tapped ends, the screw-threads, in the sleeve being right-handed and left-handed, respectively.

On rotating the sleeve 49 by means of a rod tted into the holes 5D, the parts 4S, transversely displaceable along the stationary base of the device, are drawn towards or away from each, this eiecting adjustment of the rst stage of the movement of the blank with respect to the tool, which is the approach movement. Between the plates l2 and 3 is provided the usual frictiondevice.

The working of the device described above is like that previously described but the operation of the cutter is reversed as regards the machining of the flanks of the hollow tooth, more particularly the cutter, which, in the one case, ma-

chines the profile of the periphery towards the centre, machines it, in the other, fromzthe centre towards the periphery. v

The principle of reversal may also be carried out by the aid of a tool of the type of the plane (alternating movement) instead of a tool of the type of the cutter (rotatory movement) as described above. In this case, no rotative movement, either of oscillation or of rolling, is caused at each cut between the tool and the part to be machined, these movements taking place between one stroke and the other. The tooth is thus machined'along its length by a progressive forward movement in depth. This solution can onlyv tion. For example, special independent controls may be provided foreachof the two characteristic transversal movements, for example, with the help of cans, hydraulic distributors, etc.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What we claim is:

A bevel gear shaping device comprising a blank holder in the form of a cylindrical sleeve within which is rotatably mounted a shaft projecting at both ends and having fixed to one end the blank, an exchangeable bevel master gear mounted on the end of said sleeve corresponding to the end of said shaft carrying the blank and having its apex at a point coinciding with the apex of the gear to be cut, a dividing device to index the blank comprising a casing xed to the end of the sleeve remote from the exchangeable gear, a worm wheel keyed to the corresponding end of said shaft and a worm cooperating with said worm wheel and supported by the casing, a crown gear segment engaging the exchangeable bevel gear and supported by an underlying base, a supporting structure carrying the blank holder by means of two opposite part-circular grooves so that the common axis of the exchangeable gear and of the blank may be adjusted according to the pitch angle of the gear to be cut but constantly passes through the said point, said supporting structure being also supported by the aforenamed underlying base so that it may swivel with respect to the underlying base about a substantially vertical axis extending through the vertex of the gear to be cut, means to impart to said supporting structure an oscillating movement about said axis v the said base carrying a pivot for the free swivel of the supporting structure about said axis :1J-n: and swiveling in turn, together with an underlying plate, about a second axis (1J-y) parallel to said rst axis :c--zc with respect to a main base which is orientatably xed to the slide of a milling machine, means to 10 impart to the supporting structure an oscillating motion in a substantially horizontal plane about the axis :n n: or y--y according to the stage of the movement, frictional means to cause said supporting structure to drag with it in its oscillating motion said base, so as to perform the first stage of the motion or approaching stroke of the blank to the tool, adjusting means producing relative sliding of said base on saidunderlying plate to conveniently space the axes -sc and 1 -y, pins and abutments for stopping the transverse stroke of the base as the first stage or approach stroke is accomplished, so that in the second stage the supporting structure continues along its swivel motion about the axis and the non-slip rolling movement of the blank may begin causing the generation of the tooth flanks according to an involute profile.

MARIA MATERA BORGINI. Administratrice of the Estate of Manuele Matera,

Deceased.

ETTORE CARETTA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,479,144 Lofquist Jan. 1, 1924 1,680,258 Schurr Aug. 7, 1928 1,833,993 Hill Dec. 1, 1931 1,925,025 Amann Aug. 29, 1933 1,953,970 Miller Apr. 10, 1934 2,024,747 Samek Dec. 17, 1935 2,258,510 Laessker Oct. 7, 1941 2,364,977 Hendel Dec. 12, 1944 2,372,732 Norris et al. Apr. 3, 1945 2,387,167 Miller Oct. 16, 1945 2,423,286 Barnes July 1, 1947 

